Anybody made the jump from gmail to another email provider?

[InterfaceLeader]

Like a lot of early tech adopters, I got hooked on the free services pretty young. However, the way we use email has changed a lot over the 20 years, along with realising that 'if you don't pay you are the product' now, and that Google are ethically not great has me looking for altermatives.

Replaced google search with Ecosia (still get ads, but they fund eco-restoration). Replaced Chrome with Firefox. Now I need to replace my email with something. Considering things like protonmail or posteo. Anybody used these or any other altermatives and have thoughts/feedback?

[Bartlebooth]

I have been using Windows Live Custom Domains since probably 2009.  Basically this is Outlook.com/Hotmail with a custom domain.  I believe it would continue to work for the foreseeable future but I am tired of not being able to add new accounts since the product was put in coast mode 6-8 years ago.

So, I am nearing a cutover to my own email server.  This is running a common Postfix/Dovecot/Roundcube setup on a virtual machine, with SMTP2Go as an outbound relay/smarthost since I don't want to bother with requesting my residential cable IP get removed from block-lists (I believe it is a straightforward and possible process though).  I currently have a secondary domain setup and working.  In the next month or so I will get the main domain moved, including a couple family members.  Backups are Duplicity to Backblaze B2, and yeah if my home server setup completely imploded and I was looking at days of downtime I would implement Fastmail or similar.

Synology has what seems to be a turn-key mail system, if you have or want a Synology.

https://sive.rs/ti (Tech Independence step-by-step) would be a good way to go, I think.

[neo von retorch]

I'd keep ProtonMail and FastMail in my radar. Personally I use NameCheap Private Email which allows me to use my custom domain name, has reasonably good spam detection and web mail, but also works well with IMAP and POP3/SMTP clients on your device. And it's pretty inexpensive - starts at $15 / year, though higher if you need a bunch of email storage and/or accounts. You do not need to have your domain name or DNS with NameCheap (though I happen to.)

[Smokystache]

I don't use it ... yet. but am intrigued by Hey from 37Signals/Basecamp.
They set out to completely change how email works .... for example, instead of tagging spam later, you have full control of all email before it hits your inbox. And they don't allow pixel tracking (so no one can ever say, "I saw you opened my email yesterday..."). And other features.

Free trial. But $99/year. But they actually have live people who do support, etc.
Not a user, yet. And this is NOT a referral link:  https://www.hey.com/ . I just like their philosophy on stuff.

[InterfaceLeader]

Thanks all for the suggestions. The step-by-step tech independence checklist looks really interesting for more general reasons, too.

I did try Hey when it first came out (just on the free trial) and didn't stick with it. Might be worth giving it another go.

[GuitarStv]

What's the concern with gmail?

[Fru-Gal]

Woah, major synchronicity, I looked at Derek Sivers’s article yesterday.

[InterfaceLeader]

What's the concern with gmail?

For me: the monopolisation of Big Tech. Along with the general harvesting of my data.
I'm trying to support smaller, more ethical/sustainable, and privacy-first companies where possible (and generally simplify and be more mindful when it comes to tech)

[Askel]

I host my own domain at pair.com, but I still use gmail to read and send email through it (via pop3/send-as).   

But it's nice to own the domain and have the ability to cut the google off if I need to.   

[STEMorbust]

I use Proton. I did the Sivers tech independence exercise and still ended up using proton as the interface for my email (I think he uses command line which is very hardcore).

The nice thing about Proton is you also get the VPN, Bridge for using encrypted mail through native apps, and I believe they have a password manager.


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[InterfaceLeader]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I have gone ahead and signed up with protonmail, as it comes with the VPN etc.

[JupiterGreen]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I have gone ahead and signed up with protonmail, as it comes with the VPN etc.

Did you get the paid version or the free version? Will you update after you use it for a bit? I pay for a VPN and it might be cheaper for me to pay for protonmail since the VPN comes with it. This thread has given me food for thought about privacy and online security. You may be right that is is time to start thinking more seriously about this.

[STEMorbust]

Thanks all for the input and suggestions. I have gone ahead and signed up with protonmail, as it comes with the VPN etc.

Did you get the paid version or the free version? Will you update after you use it for a bit? I pay for a VPN and it might be cheaper for me to pay for protonmail since the VPN comes with it. This thread has given me food for thought about privacy and online security. You may be right that is is time to start thinking more seriously about this.

I’m not the OP but I was in this situation where I was paying for PIA and then consolidated. Have been on proton for years now with no complaints. I’d use the pw manager as well if I wasn’t too lazy to switch.


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[InterfaceLeader]

Did you get the paid version or the free version? Will you update after you use it for a bit? I pay for a VPN and it might be cheaper for me to pay for protonmail since the VPN comes with it. This thread has given me food for thought about privacy and online security. You may be right that is is time to start thinking more seriously about this.

I went for paid - I already pay for a password manager and a VPN, so my plan is to consolidate into Proton.

I've elected not to do their automatic-migration and email forwarding, as I'm taking the opportunity to prune all the services/newsletters/companies that have my email address and that I'm signed up to. So far everything seems very straightforward to use.

[rivendale]

After our bank avocunt got compromised I needed to switch emails. Ended up going to with Proton Mail. I have been happy so far with their mail/VPN/password manager and even their data storage. I paid for their full option for 2 years, so I'm locked in for now.